(CNS): Less than 44 inches of rain fell in the Cayman Islands in 2018, almost 13 inches below the 30-year average of 56.2 inches, the National Weather Service has revealed in its annual assessment of the islands’ rainfall. Although well short of 2016, the hottest driest year on record, last year was still much drier than the 30-year average and a lot drier than 2017 when huge deluges of rain in October pushed numbers above the average to more than 59 inches. While February, as expected, was the driest month of the year with just 0.29 of an inch recorded it was well below the annual average for that month of 1.50 inches. The wettest month for 2018 was September with 13.5 inches, well above the annual average of 8.74 inches.

While rainfall peaked in both May and September the rest of the year remained much drier than long-term climate trends would suggest. June and July were both very dry in 2018 compared to the 30-year averages. The total measured accumulation of 2.34 inches for June was 3.86 inches below average while July was even drier with just 1.2 inches falling all month, more than 4.5 inches below the average for July of 5.78 inches.

While Cayman escaped the hurricane season unscathed, one of the most notable weather systems for the year came just a few weeks ago when a strong cold front moved across the area on 21 December bringing very rough seas. The George Town Port and west coast of Grand Cayman were battered by large waves, resulting in flooding of the main roads leading to road closures along portions of the capital.

The system supported fresh to strong northwest winds and very rough seas from 20-31 December. The Cayman Islands National Weather Service issued marine warnings for the system for the period.

Across the globe 2018 has ranked one the warmest years on record from Alaska to New Zealand but is set to be the fourth warmest overall. This means that the five warmest years on record have now all occurred in the last five years. Given the long-term forecasts, climate scientists are already warning that 2019 is going to be even hotter and could set another global record as the warmest year ever.

Comments (27)

All this from ONE bloody rain gauge at the airport? Are we part of a regional network, if so what is the consensus for the region? This is coming from the same people who don’t believe sea level is rising, if so I wouldn’t put so much weight on these stats?

Satan: “So….my devilish cohorts. We have a few thousand years to take over the house. Ideas please?”
Armaros: “Oh great and mighty heinous One, perhaps we should make them all pay a tax.”
Satan: “Fantastic idea, my malodorous minion. So my fellow deviants, what aspect of their miserable lives shall we punish?”
Chazaqiel: “Allow me, your eminent Wickedness. These carboniferous creatures, be they sheep or be they goats, have one thing in common.
Satan: “Yes, get on with it, I don’t have eternity.”
Muffled coughing.
Chazaquiel: “They all breathe to live. Let us tax their breath. They all exhale carbon dioxide which is unavoidable. The carbon dioxide is absorbed by the plant life. It is a symbiotic relationship.”
Satan: “Clever, intelligent almost. Who designed that?”
Silence
Satan: “Holy…er I mean, Unholy shit! That is a diabolical idea. Why didn’t I think of that?”
More silence.
Satan: “Actually, yes I did. Have Chazaquiel locked up for speaking out of turn. So it is agreed, we will tax their breath. We will get our greedy thugs in big business to create immense amounts of carbon dioxide and blame it on the masses. We will ensure that the scientists are paid to corroborate our findings and then we will declare a salvation tax for humanity. We will call it the Carbon Tax. Those who do not pay will be labelled as haters.”
Azazel: “How will we collect the tax?”
Satan: “Do not underestimate the ingenuity of your leader, you insignificant iota of flatulent malfeasance. We will create a global communication network called the spider’s web, no, the Internet, and gradually trap, I mean connect everyone into it. When the network is perfected, we will destroy their fiat currency and implement a subcutaneous crypto-chip that aligns them with our quest to save their sorry planet. The goats and the weaker sheep will be on board in a heartbeat. The other sheep, we will hunt down.”
Baraquel: “But isn’t all that in the Bible? They’re bound to figure it out.”
Satan : “Nonsense. Nobody reads that any more. They think it is a work of fiction. Not even their so-called holy people have a clue any more. They are too busy collecting money and seeking preeminence. Their people are like sheep without a shepherd. I will lead them into captivity, er..I mean the promised land. I will give them a charismatic leader, a son from my very own bloodline, and they will never know until it is too late. None of them seek truth any more. I have given them politics, religion, never-ending sports, porn, consumerism, entertainment, drugs, computer games and television. They are all practically mine.”
Evil cackling fades gradually.

Meanwhile in the eternal dimension that transcends time and space….

God: Gabriel, how is the plan going to perfect the sheep?
Gabriel: Perfect, Your Majesty, although You already knew that. (God chuckles) The wicked ones fell for it, hook, line and sinker. The rotten ones will turn, but the good ones will be found worthy.
God: Excellent. My Son deserves only the best.
Gabriel: Amen.
Holy Spirit: Husband, the preparations are ready for our Son’s wedding feast. How much longer?
God: Soon, my Beloved, soon. Our Son will not have to spend eternity alone. When it is time, I will give the command to bring them home. It is almost time for the harvest. When you see the earth enveloped in total and evil darkness, the true Ones will shine brightly.

Angels burst into rapturous praise. Light explodes around the throne of God. Music is heard that no human ear has ever heard. Jesus smiles.

… what are you rambling about?! you see an article reporting on climate statistics and your immediate instinct is to write a fictional af “christian” short story/script/dialogue(idefk) in the comments? smh this planet is so doomed. This is not rocket science. If humans want to live in some kind of healthy equilibrium with the planet we will have to constantly check and adapt our behaviors to ensure that we are interacting with the environment in a sustainable way. Simple. deforestation, over hunting, disposing of your waste where you eat, etc etc etc, these are all behaviors that we generally accept as unsustainable but we had to LEARN that. Anthropic climate change is no different in that sense. People that argue against it at this point are simply uneducated or directly profit from others ignorance and want to maintain that ignorance so they can continue to profit.

Rainfall varies a lot across Cayman. Obviously it is drier as you go east. It would be nice to know whether this is just one rain gauge and where it is. Wherever it is, there are weather sites with historical measurements at numerous other locations.

The “global scientific consensus” chooses to conveniently ignore many pertinent data points, not to mention the FACT that the two planets nearest to Earth are also experiencing a warming in concord with that of the Earth.

It’s pretty simple, really. If model data points are set in an elevated parameter, or fraudulent set (both of which there is strong evidence of), then the models spit out data that perfectly fits the agreed upon conclusion. This is not science. Science involves a hypothesis, and testing of such, with conclusions that can be replicated. Science doesn’t decide the answer and then massage the data to fit it. Science does not make a billion-dollar business out of the pursuit of truth.

many pertinent data points such as? and they are pertinent because YOU say so? wtf are you talking about the two planets nearest earth are also experiencing a warming in ‘concord’ with earth? what do you personally gain from pretending you know something that international climate scientists don’t? what do you gain from spreading misinformation? Who are YOU to decide whether the data set is fraudulent or “elevated parameters”? humble yourself man.

Take it easy. Your blood pressure, you know. I would love to debate this with you, however you’ve already well demonstrated that you don’t possess the necessary skills for it. You cannot yell yourself into a position of truth.

You and me, we have no ‘proof’ of anything, as that is a condition established in court. However, I have boxes of printed evidence, which I’d match with you any day, as long as it could be done in a place of safety for us both.

I am a very humble man. I take counsel from my peers, do quite a bit of research on my own, and form my own opinions. I never parrot talking points without having discovered their root and veracity. If you are man of science (albeit a very angry one), you know exactly the process of which I’m speaking.

Give this a read: https://xkcd.com/1732/. An notice that despite our existence on this earth may be minute we’re causing changes to the earth in a 1000 years that normally happened gradually over millions of years.